Spellbound
by Trapped in a MatchBox
Summary: In which a Halloween undercover mission takes an unexpected turn.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I had a very clear idea of how I wanted this to be and where it would go. Then the characters hijacked it, took it to a completely different direction and it became a monster that would never end. But I am determined to put it back on track and finish it how I wanted to, but it got way too long. So I am posting the first part now and hopefully the second part will be up tomorrow night.**

**Hope you guys like it.**

**Disclaimer: Castle is not mine. Unfortunately.**

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><p><strong>Spellbound<strong>

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><p>"No."<p>

Kate Beckett pushed herself off of the desk she had been seating on for the past hour, staring at the murder board, and started in the direction of the break room for a much needed cup of coffee. She heard Castle sigh and stalk after her immediately, a small smile tugging her lips up. His idea was good, but it also had the potential to be terrible at the same time. Opening the door to the break room, she bee lined for the espresso machine and poured herself a healthy dose of cappuccino.

"You know it's a good idea, Kate. We can actually get this guy red handed." He insisted and she knew he was right.

She heard him close the door and felt his presence when he stopped just inches behind her. Taking a deep breath to calm her pounding heart at his proximity, she turned around and found him closer than she had expected. She almost hit him with her coffee mug accidentally and an almost inaudible gasp escaped her lips when she found his body so close to hers. He clearly had lost all respect for her personal space.

"Gates is not going to like it." She said quietly and took a sip from her cappuccino, trying to put some kind of distance between them, but he still didn't step back. He just looked at her, eyebrow raised, until she sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I don't even know if I have a costume, Castle. And besides, how are we even getting tickets to this thing? It's tonight."

"Don't worry about tickets. I was actually invited, but wasn't planning on going. But now, we have the perfect cover to catch our guy." He pushed back behind her ear a strand of hair that had fallen on her eyes. "Come on. Undercover mission. It's going to be fun." He grinned at her expectantly and she bit her lip, trying to prevent a smile and failing spectacularly.

"Alright. We have to run it by Gates first, though." She warned and he shrugged nonchalantly.

"She already hates me, anyway." He said and Kate narrowed her eyes at him.

"Which is why I'm doing the talking, Castle. We don't need to give her any more ammo to kick you out permanently."

"I'll be a very good boy." He promised with an innocent look and she rolled her eyes.

"Somehow I doubt that."

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><p>Gates grudgingly gave permission for their undercover mission at the famous Circus of the Damned Halloween party. The manager of the place was their prime suspect for murdering three young women in the past five weeks. After a lot of work, they had managed to narrow their suspect list down to Nicholas Hayes and they knew he would be at the party tonight, giving them ample opportunity to finally bring him in for questioning.<p>

Kate left the precinct trying to figure out just what she could dress up as and how she would be able to get a costume at such short notice. She and Castle had parted ways at the precinct's doors and she drove home with a strong feeling that this was a really, really bad idea. They wouldn't be posing as a couple per se, but she knew they would have to at least pretend to be enjoying the party for appearance's sake. That meant dancing, maybe. Together.

This was such a bad idea.

Not that she thought Castle would try anything. He had been amazing these past couple of months after she returned to work and she was sure he would be a complete gentleman tonight. It was herself that she didn't trust. As much as she had tried to convince herself that she needed to solve her mother's murder before diving into a relationship with him, it was getting harder and harder to resist that magnetic pull she felt with him. She knew he loved her and she also knew that he suspected that she remembered everything. He had been asking her lately in his own subtle way and she was getting worse and worse at evading his questions every time he asked something. Going with him to a party tonight – undercover mission or not – it was going to be a real test to her abilities of resisting temptation.

With a sigh, she parked her car in front of her building and went up to her apartment. After taking a nice long, hot shower – it was already pretty chilly in New York as November approached – she opened her closet and tried to find something suitable for tonight. An hour later, she sat down on her bed, frustrated. She had nothing she could use as a Halloween costume. In fact, she couldn't even remember the last time she had actually dressed up for Halloween since she was usually working every year.

Lying back on her bed, she closed her eyes for a moment. There had to be something she could wear. When her phone rang a few minutes later, she jumped, startled, and reached out to where she had tossed it earlier on the bed.

"Beckett." She answered tiredly, not even bothering to look at the caller's ID.

"Found a costume yet?" Castle's voice greeted her ear and she smiled involuntarily.

"No. I have nothing that could pass as a decent Halloween costume. How sad is that?"

"Well, thank God you have me to save you then." He joked and she could hear his smile through the phone. "I think Mother may have something you can borrow."

"Really? What is it?" She sat up in bed, curious.

"Well, she has lots of costumes, but there's one that I think would look great on you." He said softly and she bit her lip, thrown for a loop by his sudden change of tone. She had been sure an innuendo was coming when he mentioned he had a costume for her. "Why don't you come over? You can try it on and if you don't like it, you can look through her things here.

"And she won't mind?" she asked unsure.

"Not at all, Kate. She was the one who suggested it, actually."

"Alright, I'll be there in twenty." She stood up, looking around for her shoes, slipping them on expertly.

"See you then." He said warmly and hung up.

Well, that was one problem out of the way, she thought, grabbing her purse, coat and keys on her way out. Twenty minutes later, she was parking near Castle's building. Getting out of the car, she braved the freezing wind and walked the remaining block. The warmth of the lobby of his building was delicious as she waited for the elevator. She rubbed her hands together, trying to warm them up as she cursed herself for forgetting her gloves in the car. Soon she was knocking on his door and was greeted by a smiling Castle. She smiled back and tucked her hair behind her ear, feeling suddenly self-conscious. He ushered her in and closed the door behind them.

"Come on, it's right here."

He led her to the living room, a hand resting comfortably at the small of her back, causing the butterflies in her stomach to come back to life. Draped over the back of the couch was a golden fabric and when he picked it up and held it up for her, she marveled at how beautiful it was. It was a dress and it was made of the softest fabric she had ever touched.

"It's beautiful, Castle." She breathed, taking the dress from his hands and holding it out in front of her for a closer look. "What's it supposed to be, though?"

"A Greek Goddess." He smiled at her and reached behind him. "It comes with these too, but you don't have to wear them if you don't want to." He handed her a head piece that looked like a tiara with golden leaves and a golden cape made of a nearly translucid material. "You could go as a Muse. Kind of." He suggested hesitantly and she smiled, amused.

"It looks perfect. Let me just go try it on." She took the other items from his hands and started to make her way to the downstairs bathroom. She hadn't gone very far when his hand stopped her.

"You can use my bathroom. There's a bigger mirror there." He offered and she bit her lip, nodding. "Come on."

He led her through his office and she could see the door to his bedroom slightly open. In all the years she had known him, she had never even peeked into his room and now that he was leading her to it, she felt nervous for some unfathomable reason. He opened the door to reveal a very big room – she was sure she could fit almost her entire apartment in there – with a large window overviewing the New York City skyline. The view was gorgeous, she thought, pausing to admire the sun setting. She could definitely get used to a place like this.

"You can admire the view later, Kate. Go try it on." His voice startled her out of her thoughts as his hand gently caressed her hip to get her attention. "I'll wait here." She looked up at him and found him smiling at her and found herself leaning back into him involuntarily, their gazes locking.

"So bossy." She shook her head with a teasing grin a few seconds later, trying to dispel the moment. She had to pull herself together. They hadn't even gone to this party yet and she felt like she was already fighting a losing battle.

Making her way to his bathroom, she closed the door behind herself and took a moment to admire the sheer awesomeness of his bathtub. It could easily fit at least six people and it had a lot of buttons that she was sure could do all sorts of amazing things. With a longing look at the bathtub of her dreams, she took her clothes off and put the dress on. Turning around, she looked at her reflection in the floor length mirror. She looked _good_. The dress stopped at her mid-thigh and showed her cleavage nicely without being slutty or trashy. It showed off her curves – she had finally put on some weight after losing more than a few pounds during her recovery – and it looked like it had been made for her. It was _beautiful_.

When had Martha worn this, she thought to herself, twirling in front of the mirror. Grabbing the head piece, she adjusted it on her head and looked at her reflection again.

"Kate?" His voice interrupted her thoughts. "Did it fit? Can I see?" He asked and she could hear the excitement and curiosity in his tone. Opening the door, she stood in front of him as he stared at her, first in shock and then hungrily, as desire shone in his eyes. Kate bit her lip, trying to quench her own desire for him.

"What do you think?" She asked self-consciously, shifting her weight from one foot to another.

"You look… Wow." She watched as he swallowed hard and rubbed a hand over his face. "You look like a goddess, Kate."

"Thanks." She said sheepishly. "Help me put the cape on? I think you can attach it to the dress." She handed him the cape and turned around. He carefully attached it to the golden metallic rings on each shoulder, his fingers dancing over her skin. Kate fought hard to prevent a shiver, but couldn't fight it when his lips touched her shoulder briefly. Biting her lip again, she decided to ignore his small slip and took a deep breath before turning around to face him. "What do you think? Should I keep it or lose it? The cape, I mean."

"Keep it. Definitely keep it." He said vehemently. "Unless you think it's going to get in the way." She shook her head and he smiled. "Then keep it. You look gorgeous." He said softly and she smiled at him.

"What are you dressing up as?" she asked curiously and he grinned at her.

"James Bond." He said with a wicked smirk and she laughed.

"Very fitting, Castle." She shook her head, amused.

"I thought so." He told her with a wink. "We still have some time to kill before show time. Maybe we could have dinner or something?" He offered and she nodded.

"Sure. Let me just change out of this first and I'll be right out." She said and grabbed his hand as he was turning to leave the room, making him look back at her, surprised. "And, Castle? Thanks for the costume." The smile he sent her way lit up the room and he stepped into her personal space again, leaning in to place a lingering kiss on her cheek, dangerously close to her mouth.

"My pleasure, Kate." He whispered and she closed her eyes, trying to breathe as normally as she could. When she opened them again, he was already gone.

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><p>"Don't you think the Ferrari is a bit too much?" Kate asked when he turned the alarm off and opened the door for her.<p>

"We're going undercover. There's no rule saying we can't go all out with it and have a little fun." He winked at her and settled behind the wheel. "Plus, you're letting me drive. There's no way I'm going to miss this opportunity." He started the car and she chuckled.

"You're a child." She teased and he shrugged. "Come on, Mr. Bond. Let's get this guy."

He pulled the car into traffic and Kate allowed herself to sit back and relax. Turning to him, she took the time to just watch him, as it was something she didn't get to do very often. He looked incredibly handsome dressed as old school James Bond with a white tuxedo jacket and black bowtie and pants. His hair was brushed back with a touch of gel to keep it in place.

Yes, very handsome indeed, she thought to herself, pleased.

"What?" He asked when they stopped at a red light a block away from the club they were going to. She blinked and felt herself blush slightly. "You're staring at me. What is it?" He insisted and she shook her head.

"Nothing, you just look good, that's all." She admitted and could have sworn she saw him puff his chest out proudly at her compliment.

"Why, thank you, Detective. You look… well, gorgeous doesn't even begin to cover it." He said with a smile and she returned in kind, their spell only breaking when a car honked behind them. "Let's get this show on the road."

Castle parked the Ferrari near the club and locked it after they got out, engaging the sophisticated alarm system the car had. When he offered his arm to her, she looped hers through his without hesitation and they made their way to the front of the line, where Castle handed the security guy their VIP tickets, much to the dismay of the people waiting in line to get in. Once inside, they left their coats with the hostess and Kate took his hand, pulling into the already crowded room. The place was amazingly decorated for the occasion, giving off that creepy Halloween vibe with the lights, music and pictures displayed on the walls. Kate knew there were four floors in which the party happened and thought they could mingle and scout the locations for the next hour.

"So what's the plan?" His voice in her ear took her by surprise and she jumped, startled, her back hitting his chest. They were making their way through the crowded dance floor and Kate found herself being pushed further back into his chest. Taking a deep, steadying breath, she turned her head to the side.

"Let's just take a look around for now." She managed to say and found his lips dangerously close to hers. Swallowing hard, she turned away and braved her way through the crowd until they reached the bar.

"Do you want a drink?" He asked when they finally made it to the bar, his hand making its way to her hip.

She looked down at where he was touching her and smiled, amused, that he was staking his claim on her. She had seen a lot of guys checking her out on their way in and it was incredibly amusing – and sweet – that he wanted to keep the men away from her. It was funny, really, how much she had changed since she had met Castle four years ago. Had this happened back then, she would have immediately slapped his hand away; now she allowed herself to enjoy his touch (not that she would tell him that, obviously). Of course, back then she thought he was a pain the ass, as opposed to now, that she was in love with the guy.

"I'm on duty, Castle." She turned around to look at him and he nodded, already signaling the bartender.

"Two Cokes, please." He ordered and slipped the guy a ten dollar bill. The young bartender returned with their beverages and she watched as he smiled at the kid. "Thanks, man. Keep the change." He handed her a glass of Coke and held his out for a toast. "To a successful mission." He grinned and clinked his glass to hers.

"To a successful mission." She repeated with a smile and took a sip. "We should find out where his office is. See if he picks his victims in advance." She said quietly and he nodded. "Keep your eyes out for him."

"Got it." He acquiesced and leaned back against the bar. Kate did the same and they stood there, arms touching, watching the crowd of dancers in the most varied and outrageous costumes. From time to time, they whispered to each other about a particularly funny costume, but after an hour, they still hadn't seen any sign of their suspect. "Maybe we should move to the dance floor. He might be somewhere in there and we just can't see him from here." He suggested and Kate bit her lip. With a sigh, she agreed, not having any better ideas herself. "Alright, come on." She looked at his extended hand warily and he sighed. "I'll be a perfect gentleman, Kate. You know that." He promised her and she bit her lip again, but took his hand nonetheless.

She _knew_ he would be a perfect gentleman. That wasn't the problem. It was herself she didn't trust tonight. Nevertheless, she led him to the dance floor and through the crowd, until she found a spot that would fit them both. Stopping abruptly, she felt him bump into her back, almost making her lose her balance. His arm immediately grabbed her around the waist before she could fall and pulled her back against him. She closed her eyes at the sudden contact and breathed heavily through her nose.

"Keep your eyes out for him." He repeated her words in her ear, his lips brushing against her skin, and she opened her eyes, trying to get her breathing under control.

_Sweet Jesus, what was he doing to her?_

He kept his arm around her waist, holding her close and moving his body to the beat of the song playing. Kate tried to ignore her racing heart and the way his body moved with hers and focused on locating their guy. After a few minutes, however, they still had nothing, so she decided to turn around to take a look at the other side of the room. With her heels, she was almost as tall as he was and could easily see over his shoulder. It also put her face to face with him, which proved to be a huge mistake. Their gazes met and locked and she found she just couldn't make herself look away. After a few seconds, in which Castle had pulled her even closer, Kate managed to tear her eyes away from his, only to have them stray to his lips, then back up.

This was a terrible, terrible idea.

She couldn't keep her eyes away from his as she watched him lean in slowly, giving her time to change her mind, but she just couldn't make herself move. Not when his arms were wrapped firmly around her waist and their bodies were pressed together like that. She couldn't even think, let alone make the coherent, sensible decision of stopping this. When his lips brushed against hers, she sucked in a gasp, making him pull away. Like a magnet, however, her lips followed his and she closed the distance between them again, firmly pressing her lips to his. He seemed surprised at first, but soon started moving his lips with hers and Kate lost herself in the kiss for a moment. His tongue caressed her bottom lip and she granted him permission for it to come in and dance with hers. When their tongues touched, she almost felt like she had been deliciously zapped and had spontaneously combusted at the same time as a moan escaped her lips. He pressed her ever tighter against his body and groaned against her mouth.

Kate couldn't think straight when he finally pulled away and started a trail of wet kisses on her neck, sucking on her pulse point. She was breathing heavily and her desire for him had risen exponentially. Throwing her head back and giving him more access, she sighed contently at his tongue on her skin and the feel of his body pressed so intimately against hers. He was taking his sweet time exploring her neck and it was slowly driving her crazy.

It took someone bumping into them a little harder when a crowd favorite song started to play to make her snap out of the trance she was in. Opening her eyes suddenly, she gasped when he found her lips again, pulling her under for a few seconds longer as his tongue did delicious things to hers. It took all of her self restraint and control to pull away from him.

"Wait." Her breathing was coming out in gasps and the look in his eyes almost made her throw caution to the wind ravish him right then and there. "Castle, we can't do this now." She leaned heavily against him and was thankful that his arms were still holding her up, otherwise her knees would have given out already. He touched her cheek, his thumb caressing her skin softly as he leaned his forehead against hers.

"Right. Undercover mission. Find serial killer. Focus." He said and she smiled at his ragged breathing, proud of herself for doing this to him. "Got it." He finished, but still kept her firmly pressed against him. "Do we have to?" He added after a minute and she laughed.

"Yes, we do." She told him with a smile and leaned in, pressing her lips against his again. "We can continue this later." She kissed his surprised look away and laughed when he all but growled against her lips.

"I am definitely holding you to that." He kissed her neck, but she pushed him away. "What?"

"I see him. Ten o'clock." She told him over the loud music and he nodded, leading her in the suspect's direction.

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><p><strong>AN: Thoughts?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: First, I am so sorry I took so long to finally post this. Life got in the way. And second, you guys are amazing. The response I had to this story was overwhelming. I really hope you guys like the conclusion to it. Thank you so much!**

**Please note the rating has changed.**

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><p><strong>Spellbound<strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

"What the hell were you thinking, Castle?"

Her angry voice pulled him out of the red rage daze he had been in. Blinking fast, he tried to pull himself together and get his breathing under control. Hayes had almost stabbed her. He had had to do something. He would not lose her again. He refused to let her even come close to something dangerous like this ever again. He had to protect her. He loved her, goddamn it, and he would always protect her in the best way he could. How could she be angry when all he wanted was to make sure she was safe?

Breathing hard, he turned to look at her as she called in an ambulance for the girl Nicholas Hayes had tried to kill in the alley behind the club. Her dress was torn on her stomach and he could see the red already starting to soak through the fabric. His breath caught in his throat as his eyes locked on the red stain, his mind hurtling back to that sunny morning at the cemetery. He remembered the glint in the distance that had caught his eye, the mind numbing second in which he figured out what was about to happen and the clear instinct to save her. He remembered how her blood soaked rapidly through her shirt, how he begged her to stay with him, how he told her he loved her.

How she died in his arms, anyway.

Now as he watched her blood being shed again, it felt like someone had just cut off all his supply of oxygen. He couldn't lose her again. He couldn't. He wouldn't.

"Castle?" Her voice broke through the fog in his mind and he looked at her. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" He could hear the concern in her tone and breathed a sigh of relief that she seemed to be okay.

"Don't worry about me. I'm fine." He was still having trouble breathing in and out as he reached out and touched her. "You're bleeding." He whispered and she looked down, frowning.

"Oh. Wow, I didn't even feel it." She tried to examine the wound but it proved to be a difficult task. Castle reached out and pushed away the torn fabric, revealing a not so deep cut where the blood was starting to coagulate.

"Does it hurt?" He leaned against a dumpster, his hands ghosting over her sides.

"Now that you pointed it out to me, it kinda does, yeah." She grimaced and he took her hands in his, bringing both to his lips. "But it's not bad, right? It doesn't feel all that bad." She asked, still trying to get a glimpse at the bloody patch on her dress.

"Doesn't look too deep." He threaded his fingers through hers and felt a little more relieved when she gave him a small smile. "I'm so glad you're okay." He breathed out and closed his eyes, resting his forehead against hers.

They had seen the suspect lead a girl out the back entrance of the club and decided to follow them. When they caught up with them outside, Hayes had a knife to the girl's throat as she struggled fruitlessly against him. Kate had told him to freeze, whipping out her gun from the concealed holster on her thigh, but he ignored her command. He let go of the girl, but started to close in on Kate so fast that neither of them saw it coming when he kicked the gun away from her hand. The next thing Castle knew, he was tackling the guy and punching the daylights out of him in a rage so strong, it had even surprised himself.

"I'm glad _you're _okay. What the hell were you thinking, tackling him like that?" She untangled one of her hands from his and touched his cheek. "He had a _knife_. You could've been hurt or worse, Castle." She whispered, her fingers gently caressing his skin, settling on his neck.

"He was trying to kill you. He almost succeeded. I couldn't let that happen." He told her firmly and wrapped his free arm around her waist. "I'm not going to lose you again, Kate. I can't." He whispered in her ear, placing a kiss on her neck, breathing her in.

"You two okay over there?" They heard Esposito's voice and jumped apart as if they had been burned.

Kate had called them and an ambulance to take care of the girl and Hayes a few minutes ago. The young woman had been in shock until the ambulance arrived. Kate had stayed with her, keeping an eye on Hayes' unconscious form lying on the ground. When the paramedics flooded in, she had handed the girl to them and went to check on Castle.

"What happened?" Ryan joined in as he and Esposito walked towards them. "Beckett, you're bleeding." He pointed out when they finally reached them, making Castle look down at the red stain on her stomach, which just made him feel sick to his stomach again.

"Hayes attacked me. Castle beat the shit out of him, though." She explained and the boys looked at him impressed.

"That was your handy work, bro?" Esposito asked and he nodded, his hand itching to touch Kate again. She seemed to be struggling with the same issue, though, as he watched her slowly gravitate towards him. "Damn. Who knew you had it in you, man." The Hispanic detective grinned at him and Castle chuckled, relief flooding him when he felt Kate's arm touch his as she leaned against the dumpster too.

"Let's just hope Gates doesn't bitch about it." She said and linked her pinky finger with his, earning a small smile from him.

"You should get that cut checked out." He told her and the boys agreed with him. He looked at her and found her nodding grudgingly, pushing herself off of the dumpster, and pulling him with her. She let go of his hand and he immediately missed the warmth of her touch, his body already craving it, now that he had had a taste. "I'll go get our coats while they fix you up." He told her as they approached the ambulance, Ryan and Esposito following closely behind.

"We're going to wrap it up here and see that Hayes is taken care of. See you at the 12th?" Ryan asked her and she nodded, sitting down on the back of the ambulance as a paramedic started asking questions.

"Yeah, thanks, guys." She gave them a small smile and they nodded.

"Just glad you're okay, Beckett." Esposito told her and she nodded gratefully. Castle decided to take his leave and go back into the club to retrieve their things, when her hand grabbed his.

"Stay with me?" She asked quietly, almost shyly. He smiled at her, squeezing her hand, and hopped into the ambulance.

"You okay?" He asked, looking around to check if the boys were really gone, before placing a kiss to the back of her hand.

"Yeah, I just…" she trailed off, closing her eyes for a moment, and he entwined their fingers together.

"I'll stay." He promised her and she smiled gratefully, leaning into him. "Is she going to need stitches?" He asked the young paramedic that was tending to her and watching their interaction interestedly.

"Nah. It's not deep. I'll just clean it and put a bandage on it." She said and Castle nodded. "Is your tetanus shot up to date, Detective Beckett?" She turned to Kate, who had laid down on the gurney inside the ambulance to get the wound checked out.

"Yeah. Had one just a few months ago." She informed and the paramedic nodded.

"Alright, this is probably going to sting a bit." She said as she cleaned the cut with peroxide. Castle felt her squeeze his hand tightly during the whole process and took it all in stride, gladly. She was okay and alive and that was all that mattered, he thought, leaning down to kiss her forehead softly. "All done, Detective." They heard the paramedic say as she finished putting the bandage on.

"Thanks, Erica." Kate smiled at the young woman and sat up, grimacing a little when the movement pulled on the cut. "Come on, Castle." She pulled him by the hand as she hopped off the ambulance, but dropped it as soon as they were in plain sight of everyone at the scene.

Castle waved at Erica and followed Kate back into the club. Once inside, he grabbed her hand and pulled her back against him, his arms immediately encircling her waist. She looked surprised for a moment, but when she looked up at him, her eyes softened.

"I'm fine, Castle." She leaned in and pressed her lips to his. "Really. It was just a scratch." She whispered, tucking her head between his shoulder and neck. He only held her tighter, careful not to hurt her, but was glad that she seemed to understand what he was going through.

"I know, just…" He swallowed hard and kissed her neck gently. "Just give me a minute." He told her, sighing heavily. She complied and stayed in his arms until he got his emotions under control.

"We should head back to the precinct. I still have to book Hayes." She murmured into his neck and he nodded, pulling back slightly, only enough to press a kiss to her forehead and then to her lips. He felt her smile against his lips as her hands found his and entwined their fingers. As soon as she did that, however, he felt a sharp wave of pain eradiating from his right knuckles and a gasp escaped involuntarily. "What's wrong?" she asked, pulling back to look at him.

He reluctantly let go of her hand and brought his hand up for examination. His knuckles were bloody and a little swollen. Damn it.

"Nothing, I'll just get this checked out later." He showed her his hand and heard her gasp in surprise.

"Why didn't you say anything, Castle? You may have a fracture here." She chided and he shook his head.

"I didn't even feel it until now. Let's just go get this done at the precinct and then I'll get it checked out. I promise." He added when she looked at him skeptically. "It doesn't feel broken, don't worry." He gave her a ghost of a smile and kissed her again. "Let's go?" He offered his good hand to her and she took it.

"Let's go. But I'm taking you to the hospital after this." She promised with that determined gaze he loved so much and he chuckled.

"I'll do whatever you want, detective."

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><p>It was past 4 in the morning when he parked the Ferrari in front of Kate's building, killed the engine and turned to look at her. She had her eyes closed, head leaned back against the seat. He took the time to just watch her, engrave every single detail about her in his mind, so he could revisit this moment whenever he wanted. She had changed out of her costume and was now wearing a spare t-shirt and yoga pants she had left in her locker at the precinct. Reaching out to touch her, a sharp pain in his right hand reminded him of the hairline fracture he had suffered.<p>

After they had gotten everything done – or as much as they could, given the time – she had made good on her promise and took him to the hospital. They had waited for about an hour until a doctor finally came to see them and after getting some x-rays done, the young doctor announced he had a hairline fracture. It was very minor and he just had his hand bandaged to immobilize it for a few days. Kate had said she would be driving, but by the time they left the hospital she was practically asleep on her feet, so he just guided her to the passenger seat and took the keys from her coat pocket, settling behind the wheel. The drive to her apartment was short, but it looked like she had fallen asleep on him on the way.

"Kate." He touched her shoulder, minding his hurt hand, but she didn't even stir. "Kate." He called again, louder this time, and watched as her eyes flew open, a gasp escaping her lips.

"What? What is it? What's wrong?" She fired the questions in rapid succession, breathless.

"Nothing, relax." He touched her cheek and she met his eyes in the relative darkness of his car. "We're here." He said quietly and she looked outside, recognition dawning on her.

"Oh." She blinked, trying to get rid of the remnants of sleep and he smiled at how adorable she looked when she was sleepy. "Sorry, I was supposed to take you home. Didn't mean to fall asleep on you."

"Hey, I got us here in one piece, thank you very much." He said in mock outrage and she shook her head, smiling.

"Do you want to come up?" She asked a little shyly after a moment, biting her lip. He smiled at her hesitancy and nodded. "How's the hand?"

"Hurts like hell." He shrugged after they met on the sidewalk. "But I'll live."

He grinned at her and took her hand in his as they walked to her building's entrance. If he was honest with himself, he was terrified she would regret everything that had happened tonight and start to pull away from him. But things seemed to be finally going his way, as she threaded her fingers through his and pulled him into the lobby. She pressed the button for the elevator and leaned into his side.

"I'm so ridiculously tired." She yawned and he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. She rested her head on his shoulder and he couldn't fight the smile that blossomed on his lips. This was really happening. Kate Beckett was in his arms and it was all very real.

"Are you sure you want me to come up?" He asked her quietly, kissing her hair, and she nodded. "Alright." He let out a breath in relief and told himself to relax. He was still so tense after everything that had happened that his entire body hurt.

The elevator ride to her apartment on the fifth floor was fast and the next thing he knew, Kate was pulling him into the apartment. She threw her keys at the coffee table and slipped out of her high heeled sandals, a moan of pleasure escaping her lips. He smiled at the sight in front of him and tried to ignore that moan and all the things it did to him. Taking off his tuxedo jacket, he put it on the back of the couch and unbuttoned the cuff of his shirt.

"Come on." She reached out a hand to him and he took it, mystified, as she started to lead him to her bedroom.

"Kate…" He needed to be sure this was something she wanted, that she wouldn't wake up the next morning and regret everything. He wouldn't be able to take that.

"Just sleeping, Castle. We're both too exhausted for anything else." She gave him a small smile and he nodded.

While she rummaged through her drawers, he took the time to look around her room. It wasn't the first time he had been in there, but it was the first time she had invited him to stay. His eyes travelled over the walls, the pictures on her nightstand, and the books on a bookshelf to the right of her bed. He smiled when he saw she had quite an impressive collection of his books and had to bite his lip to keep from saying anything about it.

"Here." She handed him a shirt that looked too familiar and his eyes widened when he realized it was one of his shirts. She had borrowed it when her apartment blew up during the Dunn case.

"Hey, I've been looking everywhere for this." He looked up at her and grinned when a blush started to creep up her neck. "You kept my shirt, you little thief." He teased her and she rolled her eyes. "I can't believe you kept it all this time."

"Shut up." She threw the shirt at him and walked to the bathroom, her own clothes in hand. "I'm just going to change real quick and then you can use the bathroom." She told him over her shoulder and he sat down on her bed, unbuttoning his shirt to throw on the one Kate had just given him. After that was taken care of, he stood up again and took his pants off, thinking that boxers and a t-shirt was decent enough to sleep in.

After a few minutes, Kate opened the door, waving a toothbrush at him. He made his way to the bathroom and found her removing her makeup. Leaning on the doorsill, he just watched her movements, fascinated. This was a side of Kate Beckett he wasn't usually privy to. After a couple of minutes, she caught him staring and raised an eyebrow at him in question. He shook his head, smiling to himself, and grabbed the toothbrush she had offered him, applying toothpaste to it. As they brushed their teeth side by side in her bathroom, Castle couldn't help but marvel at how fast – and seamlessly – things had changed between them. If someone had told him yesterday that tonight he would be getting ready for bed with Kate Beckett in her apartment, he would have laughed in their faces.

But here they were.

The world really did work in mysterious ways, he mused to himself, as he reached for the towel. Kate touched his arm and gave him a smile before going back to her room. He closed the door and went about his nightly ritual. A couple of minutes later, he opened the door again and found her room in near darkness with only the dim light on her nightstand on. Kate was already in bed, lying on her side, her back to him. He walked over to the bed and lay down, hands itching to touch her, but not sure what he was allowed to do.

Tentatively, he reached out slowly and brushed his fingers on her arm. When she didn't pull away, he scooted closer to her until his chest was touching her back, his arm around her waist. Pressing a kiss to her neck, he felt her relax into him, her hand finding his in the darkness. He threaded their fingers together and kept showering her neck and shoulder with lazy, open mouthed kisses. When she shivered against him as he sucked on her pulse point, he smiled against her skin and redoubled his efforts. A moment later, she turned around to face him, her mouth suddenly on his. He was slightly taken aback at how hungry and demanding her lips were, but he recovered fast and kissed her back with the same enthusiasm, pushing her back onto the bed, his body hovering over hers, hand caressing her sides. He tried to mind his hurt hand, but at the moment the pain was forgotten as she pulled him tighter on top of her, her legs parting so he could fit snugly between them.

Her hands ran all over his back, pulling his shirt up, her nails making him shiver and his skin to break out in goose bumps. He pulled away breathlessly as she took his shirt off and threw it over the side of the bed, running her hands everywhere she could reach. He was certain he was moments away from collapsing from sensory overload as her touch elicited all kinds of deliciously torturous feelings. Slipping a hand into her shirt, he touched her carefully, mindful of the injury she had suffered just hours before. Kate didn't seem to care, though, pulling her shirt off the rest of the way. He watched, mesmerized, as she laid bare to him in the dim light, her pupils betraying her desire, the flush on her chest a joy to look at.

Then his eyes found the scars that marked her now, proof that that terrible day back in May had really happened. He sensed when she suddenly became self-conscious, apparently just remembering that those scars were there as well. She tried to cover them with her hands, but he stilled her movements before she could, leaning down to press a kiss to the bullet wound mark just under her left breast, then trailing further to the left, where another line marred her perfect skin. He kissed those lines reverentially, a sudden wave of gratitude and love for her so strong washing over him that it nearly took his breath away. Kissing his way lazily back to her lips, he pulled away, touching her cheek gently, making her look at him.

"You're so beautiful, Kate. So perfect to me." He whispered and saw her bite her lip, a myriad of emotions flashing in her eyes. He was tempted to say just how much he loved her then, but stopped himself just in time. This wasn't the right time yet.

He kissed her again, deep and slow, and felt her respond with the same intensity. What he was feeling at that moment was something so unique, so inherent to his love for her, that he was sure he would never experience anything similar with anyone else. He was also sure that after tonight he wouldn't want anyone but Kate.

She held onto him tightly, as if he was her lifeline, and wrapped her legs around his waist, bringing them closer. When his hips pressed against hers, he rejoiced in the satisfied moan that escaped her and made it his mission to hear more of that amazing sound. He touched her everywhere he could reach, his lips dancing over her skin, settling on the tight peaks of her breasts for a moment – just enough to have her panting and writhing under him – and let his hands travel further south, pulling the yoga pants, along with her underwear, down her legs and throwing it over his shoulder. Pulling away, he took a moment to take that sight in.

She was gorgeous. He wanted her so badly, it hurt.

She sat up, her hands reaching for his waistband, pulling it down. When she touched him for the first time, he thought it would be all over before they had even gotten started and gritted his teeth to get himself under control. She ran her hand over the length of him, teasing him with a wicked grin playing on her lips. He was able to endure that delicious torture for only a couple of minutes, before he had her lying on her back again, his hand diving between her legs, his lips curving up in a smile when she let out a low moan and bucked against his hand. She was so ready for him and just the thought of what was about to happen, what it was going to be like to be joined with her in the most beautiful way, had him close to the edge again.

He worked her with his fingers, his mouth eventually joining in on the task, until he felt her crashing around him, her back arching and the most gorgeous sound escaping her lips. He smiled at the scene in front of him, bringing her down from her orgasm gently, proud of himself for doing this to her. To Kate Beckett. _His_ Kate Beckett. Kissing up her body, he found her lips again and they kissed lazily for a few minutes, until she reached down between them and grabbed him.

"Nightstand." She whispered in his ear and he immediately reached out to the small drawer, his hand blindingly looking for a condom.

As soon as he found it, he showed it to her happily and she chuckled, taking it from him and ripping the foil with her teeth. Rolling it down on him, she pulled him back on top of her as he instinctively entered her. The overwhelming sensation of being in her had him moaning against her neck as he started to move slowly with her. She wrapped her legs around his waist again, which just pulled him in deeper, eliciting sounds from both of them. They moved together fluidly as if they had been doing this for years. She kissed him with a voracity he had never seen before and the feelings her actions evoked had him almost spilling out his love for her. Instead, he just chanted it in his head, intermingled with her name. When she whispered in his ear to go faster, he almost went over the edge, but held out for her. Reaching down between them, he found her most sensitive spot and massaged it until she reached her peak again, his name spilling out of her lips like a prayer. Only then, he allowed himself to let go.

Later, as they tried to catch their breaths, he got up to quickly dispose of protection, and went back to the warmth of her. She curled herself around him, her legs intertwined with his, her breath whispering against his neck. He wrapped his arms around her and wished and prayed this would all still be real in the morning. She kissed his neck sleepily, her limbs completely relaxed against him, as he ran his hand up and down her back, hairline fracture all but forgotten. He was sure it would hurt like hell in the morning, but he had no regrets. This had been so worth it.

"What's on your mind, Rick?" Her sleepy voice broke the silence and he sighed contently.

"Would it be really cheesy and clichéd if I said it was you?" He asked and felt her laugh against him.

"A little, but you get a cheesy and clichéd free pass tonight." The playful tone in her voice made the uncertainty in his heart slowly melt away.

"Good." He found her lips with his and sucked on her bottom lip. "This was…"

"I think mind blowing is a good description." She interrupted him and he chuckled, agreeing with her wholeheartedly. They were quiet for a few minutes, just listening to each other breathing. "Hey, Rick?" she said after a while and he pulled away to meet her eyes. "I'm really glad you're here." She whispered and he felt the happiest smile appear on his lips.

"Yeah?"

She smiled at him and closed the distance between them.

"Yeah."

And that was all the reassurance he needed.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thoughts?**


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